Tragic Kingdom
by black-emperor
Summary: The four of them came together with the dream of creating a safe haven for their people but that's the funny thing about dreams, they have the ability to change on the drop of a dime and then you'll remember nothing.
1. Chapter 1

His eyes surveyed the room.

He and Godric had been seated in front of a fire for about 20 minutes. Salazar sipped on his drink impatiently, while Godric seemed to be lost in thought. They had been waiting 20 minutes for the others to arrive, a pair of supposedly extraordinary wizards. Godric had dealt with them while Salazar scouted the land for their location which was in a nice, deep area within Scotland.

However, when two witches appeared out of thin air, to say he was shocked was an understatement. The first one dressed in long dark robes with brown hair, very nice on the eyes. His eyes drifted to the second witch who was gently shaking out her robes, a very light yellow shade. What an odd color, steel grey eyes scanned her when she finally straightened out.

Blonde hair held back in a decorative way, almost the same color as her robes. Her cheeks were slightly red, most likely from apparition but she still held her head high. Godric was to them first, so Salazar swirled his glass once more before downing it and getting up to greet them.

"Rowena," Godric said merrily kissing her hand, affected greatly from the fire whiskey in celebration of the school the four of them had planned to start. This was the meet and greet, "Miss Helga," Godric smiled down at the younger witch, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"This is my best friend, Salazar Slytherin," he said announced, introducing him to the rest.

"Lady Ravenclaw," Salazar said bowing slightly towards her. "Rowena is fine, Salazar," the Ravenclaw stated matter of factly while bowing; "This is my good friend Helga Hufflepuff."

Hufflepuff, it took all of his will power not to snicker. He turned his attention to her, noticing her blue eyes immediately. "M'lady Hufflepuff," he bowed towards her without taking his eyes off her.

She smiled an honest smile towards him; it was probably one of the most beautiful moments in his life.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Salazar," she beamed and curtsied. Such a graceful creature.

Godric had grabbed two glasses and Salazar went to grab the fire whiskey. He hoped the witches could hold their liquor for at least one night. Rowena held out her cup and he poured the whiskey carefully, Helga held hers out.

Bringing the bottle down Salazar used his other hand to steady Helga's, hers was shaking slightly. His fingers barely grazing her hand, he could feel the warmth emitting from her little hand. Maybe it was her magic, he had heard of about others being able to feel other's magic.

"Thank you," Helga said gratefully while Salazar refilled his own and Godric's.

"I do believe a toast is in order," Godric bellowed and slung his arm around Salazar in a friendly manner. Salazar couldn't hold down the grin, drunken oaf.

They all raised their glasses, "To courage, bravery, loyalty, nerve and chivalry," Godric said proudly. Rowena smiled at Godric, almost admiring him in her own way, "To intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit."

Salazar listened carefully to each person's little spiel, intrigued by what these words basically meant. Rowena intrigued him, indeed. Helga hadn't piped in yet and so he stared at her, almost waiting or mimicking her. He wanted to hear what she had to say.

She was openly glaring back at him; it was very entertaining to them all. Godric laughing loudly, "Come now!"

Helga snapped out of it then, clearing her throat "To hard work, tolerance, loyalty, and fair play," she spoke steadily and you could feel the strength behind her words. However, Salazar couldn't help the low chuckle escape his throat.

What the bloody hell was he doing? He set his cup down, "To ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness," he finished with a wave of his hands. Helga wasn't even looking towards him, her hands holding her glass in her lap.

He furrowed his brows, feeling a bite of anger sift through his body. How dare she so blatantly ignore his, but he looked around. Everyone seemed unaware of her, all except Salazar. His anger receded, actually feeling bad that no one had paid much mind.

"Where is this institution being constructed?" Rowena asked.

"Upper region of Scotland, further away from _them_," Salazar's words dripped with venom. He had distaste for the muggles, persecuting and hunting people. _His people._ He gripped his glass tighter, feeling eyes on him he looked up and saw a glimpse of a worried looking Helga.

She averted her gaze, getting up and turning towards the window facing away from the fire.

"When will it begin?" Godric asked, reaching over for the fire whiskey. Salazar playfully pulled it back from the drunk, causing Godric to lose big of his balance. "Slytherin," Godric grinded out.

"Here, let me pour for you," Salazar poured some into his glass and watched his friend's temper die down. He was not a drunk or an oaf, he was just letting loose tonight. He deserved, they both deserved it. They both deserved this opportunity to help out their own kind, a safe haven away from their kind where they couldn't be hurt.

Salazar watched as Godric and Rowena started talking in private. He looked behind them and saw Helga still staring out the window. He had more important things to worry about but the moon light was hitting her in the most perfect way

He would never deny beauty when he was confronted with it. He slowly got to his feet, taking the bottle with him and coming to stand beside Helga.

"Refill?" He asked curtly and watched as she jumped, a little startled at his unexpected presence.

She turned towards him and held out her glass, "Yes please" she barely whispered. He could tell the whiskey was hitting her hard. Her eyes had glazed over; he wondered if she had properly ever drunk before. A man's drink that is, he refilled her glass anyways and was half tempted to grasp her hand again.

"A toast, to cooperating and working together," Salazar said and tilted his glass in her direction. Helga's mouth formed into a slow smile.

"It will be a pleasure," she said slowly, almost seductively. Salazar blamed it on the alcohol since he started to notice how nice her skin was, the slopes and dips of her neck, collarbone. His hand twitched to touch her; he knew that she would be warm and comforting. Everything he wanted.

Helga took her glass and clicked it against his in a friendly gesture, taking a sip of her own. She would never know how lucky she was, if she hadn't woken him out of his lust filled dazed. He wasn't too keen on getting hexed tonight.

Maybe another time.


	2. Chapter 2

They had all worked harmoniously, all working towards the same goal so it was only natural that everyone had their priorities in order. Although Salazar's waivered slightly one evening, he and Helga had stayed behind as they were working on the castle planning, surveying. Thankfully it wasn't raining, the other night was horrible and it took much longer.

He watched her scribble on a piece of parchment; he was seated across from her on a very little table. He hadn't even noticed til now that their legs were casually rubbing, bumping against one another every now and then.

He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the urge to grab her petite little twinkle toes and give her something to fidget about.

Helga's ankle brushed against his knee cap, his reflects kicked in and he grasped her ankle.

"Hufflepuff," he said lowly, his fingers holding her ankle with care, "Please, calm yourself." He finished and let go of her foot.

Helga resisted the urge to yelp when he grabbed her but his touch was so gentle, he wasn't necessarily hurting her. He was almost afraid of touching her, while Godric would pat her on the shoulder or give her a bear hug.

Salazar would sometimes kiss her hand, those were the rough nights. Just the feel of his lips on her skin made her melt. She was drawn to him, they worked together mostly since Rowena and Godric seemed to get along together so well. They were definitely not forced together, she never felt forced to be with him. She enjoyed their times together.

Most of the time.

She flinched when he let go of her ankle, not expecting it. She watched him get up from the table and move towards the entrance to the school. It was almost complete; it wasn't very big for now. But they could continue on with building as they grew.

Instinctively she got up and followed him to the entrance; he leaned on the door frame. She felt a surge of bravery, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing lightly.

"I'm sorry Sal, you know I don't mean to annoy you purposely," she looked and saw him staring intently at her hand. She instinctively pulled her hand back and began to fidget, staring away from him now. Feeling like a complete and utter fool, she felt tears prickle her eyes.

Salazar came up behind Helga, leaning down to her ear he whispered gently, "Calm down dear Hufflepuff." A hand came up and clasped onto her shoulder, his fingers barely grazing her exposed skin.

She leaned into him slightly when Salazar dabbed her eyes with his handkerchief, "Keep this, I'm sure you'll need it again." He handed it to her, squeezing her shoulder gently before leaving her at the door. She watched him settle back at the table, more at peace now with himself. She looked down at the handkerchief, it was dark green with the abbreviation S.S. embroidered with silver stitching, it was quite elegant.

Dabbing her eyes again she began to collect herself. Inhaling his scent off the handkerchief sent shivers down her spine, he smelled absolutely divine.

Folding it up and putting it into the pocket of her robe she sat back down at the table. Careful to leave him his personal space, she even made sure not to cross her legs or fidget with her quill. Suddenly she was startled; his hand was on her knee.

She looked up at him frantically only to find him working diligently. Clearly he must take her for a fool; she swatted his hand away playfully. Hearing his throaty chuckle she felt her cheeks flush, it was suddenly very hot in the room. What a hypocrite.

Salazar finished up, "I think it's time we leave unless you'd like to sleep here as well." He began to pack up his quills and things, very tidy.

Helga studied him for a moment before mimicking him and collecting her things. "You know, once we get settled I do want to live here. I don't want to live in a wizarding village or nearby town, I want to feel safe and I feel that when I'm here," she admitted a bit sheepishly as she pulled on her dark cloak for warmth.

Salazar was always in awe of her and the honest things she said, "You will always be safe Helga, you need not worry," he said in a matter-of-fact way, as if it was nothing. It was honest and true words, she would be safe. He would make sure of it; they all would be safe for the first time in a long time.

"I'm sorry," Helga blurted before crashing into him and wrapping her arms around him, "I know you hate my touch Sal but thank you," she said her breath tickling the nape of his neck.

"Shall I apparate us?" He asked a bit breathless, she smelled so good. His thoughts were completely muddled now; this was why he tried to keep a safe distance.

She looked up at him, remnants of tears still lingering behind her eyes. "Please," she whispered leaning her head onto his chest. His other arm instinctively drew around her, securing her in his hold.

He looked down at the girl in his arm, his heart skipping a beat from her being so close. Salazar squeezed her lightly as he felt the familiar pull and ache of apparition. They staggered a bit when they landed in-front of a tent with a large fire.

Rowena was seated in the tent while Godric tended to the fire. Salazar regretfully let go of Helga as she straightened out and waved towards Godric. Godric beamed at her, waving her over. Salazar retreated towards Rowena.

Rowena was the type of woman Salazar was used to; smart, witty and beautiful. When Godric wasn't around he tended to let his stares linger a bit on her. Rowena knew all too well, she could not play the ignorance card to her benefit. He seated himself next to her, Rowena continued to busy herself unaffecting by his prescense.

He watched as she scanned over a book containing different potions, "What're you preparing for?" he asked curiously. He was relaxed around her; he felt a familiar comfort to Rowena whereas with Helga he had never experienced such warmth from one person.

Rowena eyed him, barely even giving him a once over look, "Lesson plans, I like to be prepared," she said and sighed. Placing down her quill she stretched, looking at Salazar she noticed he always seemed to be in a better mood after spending time around Helga.

"How was it at Hogwarts?" Rowena asked, looking behind Salazar towards Godric whom was speaking with Helga.

"It was quite alright, I'm feeling a bit accomplished to be honest," Salazar said slowly, tracing the wood patterns on the table. No one knew of his secret little _lair_ I guess you could call it. He smiled deviously to himself; no one could know about it especially what was going to be held in it.

Rowena smiled, "Has Helga come along with the recipes for the kitchen and the layout of it?" she asked curiously. Helga was the best cook Rowena knew, she had the best recipes all passed down from her family. Rowena was the only one who truly knew Helga and the pain in her past.

Rowena watched as Godric lead Helga towards the tent.

Salazar openly snickered, chuckling at the thought, "I've never doubted Godric before but when he told me that one of the founders was skilled in the art of _cooking_, I started to question his decisions," he said in a teasing manner.

"Sal," she said in a sad, accusing tone. He was stunned to say the least; she had snuck up on him. Helga Hufflepuff was scolding him. But he deserved it, he sighed running a hand through his hair. They had passed a milestone today, together. He felt it, why did he always have to be so cruel?

"Helga," he looked at her finally, expecting to see her teary eyed face but was even more shocked to see her _livid_. Her brows were furrowed, her face was indeed red but those eyes held anger, betrayal.

"I'm sorry," Salazar rose off his seat coming toward her, Helga backed up into Godric.

"Helga, it's okay you should hear half of the things he says about me behind my back," Godric said in Salazar's defense trying to lighten the mood. She took a deep breath and relaxed visibly.

"It's quite alright _Salazar_," Helga said stiffly.

Salazar was positive everything was not quite alright.

"Please Helga," Salazar continued towards her, pulling her away from Godric. Get away, Godric he thought angrily.

"Why?" she shouted when they left the tent, towards the fire. She stomped away from him, going to the opposite side away from him. "Why must you always be so cold?" She practically growled.

Rowena peaked out from the tent, concern written all across her face. Godric was behind her, listening intently. "We should do something, step in," Rowena said about to come out of the tent but Godric grabbed her elbow, pulling her back in.

"No, Salazar can handle it and he wouldn't even think of harming her," Godric explained, holding Rowena. She sighed lightly under his touch.

Salazar felt like someone took a hot poker to his so-called heart; cruel, heartless, monster. He looked towards Helga desperately, trying to convey his feelings to her. However, it was difficult when he himself did not know their true intent.

Before Helga knew what happened Salazar apparated directly in-front of her. His hands grasped her upper arms lightly, "Please Helga, I'm sorry," he said desperately not knowing what else to say, never bothering with apologies before. She should honestly feel somewhat honored that the fact these words were falling from his lips.

She glared at him hard, when suddenly she felt his arms wrap around her. Salazar Slytherin was hugging her, not in an over exaggerated way but he held her close and tight. She relaxed as his scent intoxicated her, falling into his embrace.

"You said I'd be safe but from who?" Helga whispered quietly into his chest, he didn't know how bad his words had wounded her. The weight of what he said weighted heavily down on her, feeling useless; remembering always feeling useless.

"Everyone, even me," he breathed.

She tightened her grip on him, it was the truth.


	3. Chapter 3

There's a lake right off of Hogwarts, Godric had discovered that a giant squid was living in its depths and could only imagine what else lie beneath.

Ever since that night Helga had made it a priority not to invade Sal's personal space; she wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Reaching the edge of the lake Helga sat down breathless, noticing odd ripples within the middle of the lake. Sighing deeply she remembered that fateful night, she tried not to let the atmosphere around them turn sour, not now. Not when they were so dreadfully close to completing Hogwarts.

So ever since then Helga would disappear, come to the lake and just let out her frustrations. Sometimes she wouldn't make a sound just thinking to herself, sometimes she'd cry over his hurtful words, and then there were nights like tonight.

Sal had been acting strange, he would avoid her and most of their time spent was limited within Hogwarts. Sometimes they'd be caught in the tent together and the tension would hang in the air, she could cut it with a swish of her wand. Helga felt her body quake; a shiver of despair ran through her bones.

Looking up to the evening sky, pink and red were coating the skyline. A memory of her mother flashed in her mind, they had shared an evening when she was a child staring at the sky. Watching the colors and hues change, her eyes prickled with tears at the memory.

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a dark green handkerchief, she almost threw it in the lake. She huffed in frustration; they had supposedly ended on good terms so why was she still so irritated? Why did everything feel different? Dabbing her eyes with his handkerchief she unexpectedly inhaled his scent, it enveloped her senses making everything muddled.

Tears were free falling now, Sal's words stinging her mind, "skilled in the art of cooking". She was so much more than that, why hadn't anyone noticed? Her whole life it was the same; pureblood with the exception her father had deserted them.

Downright git, she would hex him into oblivion if she ever had the chance. Helga felt her frustration soar, anger took over her bones. She sometimes felt this way, when too many emotions, too many memories and current struggles blend into one.

It felt like a power surge. Nothing would happen, no weird possession, no black eyes, and she was not glowing.

Her angry thoughts shifted to earlier this evening, she had been helping Rowena put away library books. She had left in search of the "Restricted Area" as they deemed it to put certain books in their correct spots. The echo of the library door opened, Helga suppressed a smile thinking for certain it was Godric.

How wrong she was.

Helga huffed and puffed, traveling up and down the ladders until finally she was done. She wandered through the library, trying to remember the route she had taken when a familiar voice filtered through the the shelves. _Sal_, she thought sadly before following his hypnotising voice.

She peered innocently around the book shelves, unseen by either of them. Salazar was seated at one of the many library desks while Rowena was levitating books into their correct placement.

"I can't believe I ran up and down those ladders..." Helga whispered quietly to herself in agitation, she was a witch for Merlin's sake.

Rowena was seemingly oblivious, or rather acting the part, to Salazar's attempts of flirtation. Helga watched silently while Salazar's eyes traveled over Rowena's body multiple times. She felt deep despair within her gut but held it in, curiosity killing the cat.

His eyes lingered on her lips whenever she spoke directly to him, Helga could've sworn she saw a slight blush upon Rowena's cheeks. She couldn't hear anything, too afraid to get closer and too afraid to know what they were speaking about.

She watched Rowena fidget, something she never does. Helga's heart hammered against her chest, hoping she wasn't about to witness anything. Thankfully, it only resulted in Rowena telling Salazar to bugger off and find _Helga; _that was her cue to run.

Running as fast as her legs could carry her.

Here she was, seated on the edge of the lake in a ball of fury. She clenched her teeth; she felt her wand hand twitch, slipping her hand around the wand she stood in a rush, almost falling.

_Oh, I'll show you cooking, you bloody prat! _She thought, raising her wand and aiming it towards where the ripples had been earlier.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" she screamed out in anger, almost feeling the magic zip out of her body only to be regenerated. Little ripples formed into slow waves, eventually the tides were brushing up against her feet. Helga's concentration was not affected; she continued to focus all energy and magic onto that one object.

The giant squid.

Suddenly the squid's head was crowning at the top of the lake, she smiled triumphantly. She felt the squid struggle which only encouraged her; pushing her when finally its head peaked out from the lake. Its beady eyes were searching frantically, when its eye's landed on Helga it stared at her for a moment before thrashing suddenly.

She stopped, noticing the animal's discomfort. Ever so carefully she put it back into the depths of the lake, wiping her eyes of any remaining tears she fell to the ground with a loud thump! Laughing at how cruel she had just been, disbelieving she had done that.

Feeling guilty, she leaned over the edge of the lake, "I'm so sorry, I won't ever do that again," she whispered as she bent down and kissed the lake, hoping it would accept her apology.

Salazar cleared his throat, making his presence known.

She felt her blood run cold. He was going to find her eventually, wouldn't stop til he did and she was sure of it. Still seated on the ground Helga whipped her head in his direction.

"How long have you been there?" she asked bluntly, trying not to get angry and presume he had been there the entire time of her outburst.

"Long enough," he responded, it was the truth. He had seen her crying, seen her magic internally combust, and then watched this little Hufflepuff lift a giant squid out of the lake. _Halfway_, a voice in his head commented.

To say he was not impressed would've been the biggest understatement of the century. He walked towards her, offering her his hand to help her up.

"Rowena has been looking for you," Salazar said, noticing her eyes were puffy and red. Swollen lips from most likely biting them, he swallowed hard trying to wipe all thoughts from his mind about biting and her lips.

Helga tried not to get jealous at only the mention of Rowena, "Yes, I saw the two of you together in the library, thought I'd let you two alone." Helga said in a rush, hoping he didn't notice the crack in her voice.

Salazar watched Helga for a moment, taking in her words. She had been spying on them, well not spying but she had once again gone undetected by him. He eyed her; he had taken her for granted. And he knew that she could focus her magic quite well, the scene of the giant squid played in his mind.

Biting the inside of his cheek Salazar pulled Helga to her feet, her touch was warm and gentle. How could someone feel so warm to the touch, yet judging by her appearance it seemed like she had rolled around with the mermaids. Her robes were damp from just above her kneecap, her hair wind blown and tossled, like an animal could've nested within it.

She looked absolutely breath taking.

Then he saw a flicker of anger hidden behind her big blue eyes, squeezing her hands before letting them go reluctantly, however Helga's petite little hands still grasped his tightly in mid-air. Once she noticed she dropped his hands like they were hot lava; she wouldn't give into his games anymore.

"Alright well thank you for locating me, please tell Rowena I'll be in a bit," Helga said in a mocking tone, turning her back to him and trying to preoccupy her thoughts. Maybe the squid would wrap a tentacle around her and drag her to her predestined doom, one would only be so lucky.

Salazar knitted his brows together, and then it dawned on him that Helga was being a little twat.

"Come now Hufflepuff, stop being a brat," he taunted while slowly walking towards her, humming a dark tune he had heard while being on a venture with Godric. Salazar watched Helga intently, letting his eyes bore holes into her back.

Helga refused to turn around once she heard him approach, would he do something? He could get away with it; the giant squid was probably still mad at her and could very well eat her in revenge. All Sal-_Salazar_ would have to do is push her in and hold her under, subconciously Helga wrapped a hand around her neck trying to losen the fabric around her throat.

He stood not even a few inches away from her, horrific scenarios played through her mind. She almost pulled her wand on him when he forced her to turn around and face him. She glared up at him, her eyes glossing over already in angry tears. Always tears.

Salazar took in the feisty little Hufflepuff, he actually welcomed it somewhat. He was use to hostility; he knew how to respond to those types of people. He looked down at the girl again, noting that her eyes were holding back tears and that most of that anger had turned to fear.

He felt his fury deplete, Helga was not a hostile person. Yes, when push came to shove she'd be hostile. It was evident and she was intuitive and cunning in her own way. You could say Salazar had a somewhat of an epiphany thinking about the Hufflepuff. But seeing her _scared_ made him rigid, he wanted to shed his own skin at that very moment.

Salazar staggered backwards, giving much needed space between the two of them. Helga welcomed the fresh air, he had invaded her senses once again. "I'm sorr-"

"Don't," Helga gritted through her teeth. Salazar furrowed his brows in confusion, clenching his fists tightly.

"Excuse me," Salazar growled, half tempted to invade her space again. How dare she cut him off like that, why he should just hex her right here.

"Go find Rowena, Salazar," Helga said angrily, wiping at her eyes. She just wanted to be left alone. "Just tell her that I'll be in a bit," she pleaded quietly.

"Helga, stop acting childish and tell me what's wrong," Salazar clipped out in an annoyed tone. He couldn't have done anything, he had been purposely avoiding her at all costs. He was going through his own personal hell, pushing away the one thing in his life that brought warmth and tenderness, his eyes glanced in Helga's direction. The Chamber of Secrets had been coming along nicely, however that was not the problem... putting his _pet _into the chamber was the difficult part.

She looked at him then, teary-eyed and all, "Please Sal," she choked out. His eyes went wide; his heart was racing, she hadn't called him that in awhile and when they did speak she made it a point to address him properly, it annoyed the bloody hell out of him. Especially since he had just gotten use the way she had pronounced _Sal_, it would literally just roll off her tounge. His eyes darted to her, he hadn't been acting as himself either; his initial reaction had been to push that person away.

"Just leave me alone, please," she begged now. Salazar felt bile rise in his throat, she looked absolutely broken and he had no idea where the process of fixing began. He walked towards her slowly, watching her as she desperately tried not to fidget with the sleeve of her robes.

He stopped in front of her, a hand reached up to touch her cheek but Helga flinched away. "Please be careful," he whispered, pressing a light kiss to her forehead before apparating away as she wished.


	4. Chapter 4

Salazar sat in the chamber, hunched over in a drunken state. He hadn't seen anyone in what felt like weeks, though it may have only been a couple of days. He gritted his teeth in frustration, he had attempted to bring the basilisk into the chamber but that had ended badly. He gripped his shoulder in pain, most likely dislocated so now he lay there, summoning a bottle of fire whiskey to help with the pain in his shoulder, in his head, and his heart.

He chose to ignore how pathetic he must look at this moment; worn, sweaty and rightfully fucked up from the fire whiskey. Salazar ended up putting the basilisk back into its safe haven, he'd try again when his mind could focus on the task completely but until then he kept drifting back to her wavy blonde locks and blue eyes. She was haunting him.

The alcohol induced haze got his imagination running, first he envisioned Helga lightly kissing his face. He inhaled deeply, feeling warmth spread in his lower abdomen. Her lips trailed kisses down his throat, nibbling gently here and there. He wanted to touch her but his arms felt like lead, he couldn't move them if his life depended on it. Looking into the eyes of this dreamy Hufflepuff he thought maybe his life _did_ depend on it, quickly sitting up he felt the world tilt on its axis. His vision blurred slightly, slowly he rubbed his eyes in futile attempts to clear his sight.

Then he blacked out.

Salazar woke up on the cold concrete floor of the chamber feeling like he had been hit with the Cruciatus curse multiple times, he didn't want to move and it didn't help that he physically couldn't. He sighed, shifting around only to feel shooting pains throughout his left shoulder. Everything slowly came back to him the basilisk, the bloody fire whiskey, _her_.

Slowly he brought himself to his knees and got to his feet; staggering a bit he leaned onto the wall. It was damp in the chamber but he was positive it'd be perfect for the basilisk. Was he scared anyone would find out about his pet? No. They were all too preoccupied with other things, maybe in the future but by then hopefully it will already be serving its purpose.

And its purpose, well it was quite creative if he had to say so himself. Salazar dragged himself along the wall, making his tedious way to the exit. The purpose of this chamber was to house the basilisk and the purpose of the basilisk was that it can be controlled by his true heir, attacking those less fortunate, mudbloods and half-bloods. "Mudbloods," Salazar spat as he reached the sewers and traveled back towards the opening, he had come up with the brilliant plan of housing the entrance in a girl's lavatory.

He pushed himself through the sewers, trying his best to keep things slow so he wouldn't pass out. Finally reaching the exit he drew in a deep relieved sigh, pulling himself through he stepped onto the newly finished floor. Noticing his dirty foot prints trailed behind him he pulled out his wand, waving it he muttered lowly at his shoes and floor cleansing them both.

Godric had been worried; he hadn't seen his friend in almost 3 days, he knew Salazar had the tendency to need space he just hoped that with them starting this huge project he'd be a little more dedicated. He felt completely aggravated, running a hand through his thick brown hair he tugged at it. Suddenly there was movement outside the tent, maybe it was the witches but they weren't due back yet. Godric walked towards the entrance only to be greeted by a tattered and tired Salazar.

"You look like shit," Godric said snickering at the Slytherin. He loved to press his buttons but that's what friends did, not saying they hadn't ever fought over their odd arguing.

Salazar merely moved passed him, bumping his shoulder into Godric causing a shooting sensation throughout his arm. Godric noticed the discomfort, "What did you do to yourself now?" Godric asked retrieving his wand.

Salazar was too tired and hung over to fight, so he obediently sat down at the table, "I just needed some space, is all," he stated. Godric scoffed waving his wand at Salazar's shoulder, muttering lowly, "And somehow you ended up knocking your shoulder out of its socket?" Godric asked feigning ignorance.

"Not that it's any of your business but I had a rough couple of nights," he clipped out, feeling pressure on his shoulder as it was slowly being moved back into place. A faint popping sound was heard when it was complete, Salazar rolled his shoulders in relief.

"You're welcome," Godric in a mocking tone while going back to his seat, "Now honestly, where the bloody hell have you been?" he asked going completely serious.

"Can I at least clean up first before you start with the interrogation?" Salazar asked sarcastically, his eyes darted to the entrance of the tent. Noticing that he hadn't felt the presence of the Hufflepuff since he had arrived, his senses were on high alert now. He felt an insatiable hunger for her at the moment; he hoped that when he saw her for the first time in 3 days he'd be able to control himself since he had spent much of the time developing day dreams, most of them centered on her and those bloody enticing lips. He hoped and prayed that those dreams wouldn't resurface the moment he laid his eyes on her.

Salazar slowly rose from the table, mumbling something about cleaning up. Godric shook his head, ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that Salazar was up to no good. He brushed off the thought, not wanting to dwell on theories supported by pure paranoia that had taken over his mind for the past couple of days. Helga had seemingly not taken the news well at all either, blaming herself.

Which was why Rowena had gotten her out of the tent to Hogwarts, she wanted to get her out and some fresh air would help. Rowena had told Godric about what had happened between the two the day Salazar had disappeared; apparently good ol' Sal was already breaking hearts and taking names. His gut clamped down in anger; he would honestly not mind beating some sense into him.

Rowena and Helga were packing up, thinking it were best to leave before it was completely dark out. Rowena kept an eye on Helga throughout the past few days, not enjoying the hurt and suffering that her friend was experiencing. "Are you ready?" Rowena asked while grabbing her wand off the table.

"Yeah," Helga said quietly while situating her quills and parchments. He had left, she knew he had because she had asked him to; begged and pleaded with him. But she thought he was being a little dramatic now, was he intentionally trying to make her suffer? Her eyes twitched, she couldn't even bring herself to cry because she was positive that all her tears had run dry.

"Come now Helga, you cannot give up hope already," Rowena said while gently gripping Helga's shoulder in comfort.

"It's not that I've given up hope, because I would never give up hope but it's entirely my fault, everything has been my fault," Helga waved her hands dramatically, truly feeling fed up about the situation.

"Regardless, he deserved every word you said to him," Rowena said truthfully, squeezing Helga's shoulder before wrapping her cloak around herself. Helga gripped her cloak tightly; the air was getting colder and colder which could only mean that winter was on its way, she enjoyed the snow it was so peaceful.

"I suppose," Helga said lightly as she looped her arm around Rowena's, feeling the ache of apparition and landed in front of their camp. Rowena said she was going to talk to Godric before they started preparations for dinner. Helga stayed behind, watching the pretty hues of purple take over the sky while stars twinkled and danced across the sky.

She didn't know how to feel, she was still angered over his words but when he left it struck her deeply. She wasn't going to lie, she had cried harder after hearing of his disappearance and the guilt has weighted her down ever since. Helga laid in the grass completely exhausted from the lack of sleep, relishing how comfortable she felt at the moment. She stretched before drifting off into a slight daze, the gray area between consciousness and unconsciousness.

Salazar had watched her attentively, noticing how tired and delayed her reactions were. His heart clenched, he was literally aching to touch her now. He was half tempted to turn around and go right back to the chamber, at least he would be safe from temptation. Either way it didn't matter, he was already intoxicated by just the sight of her.

Hook, line, and sinker.

He ran a hand through his damp hair trying to make it presentable, cleaning up had helped him greatly. It seemed to wash that thin sheen of sweat, blood and guilt that had built up over 3 days of isolation. He approached her lying form on the ground, leaning over he noticed that she had dozed off. He took this moment to just watch her sleep; she looked lovely. His knuckles grazed her cheek; she immediately leaned into the light touch. She was just so beautiful, he was captivated in one fell swoop.

"You came back," she breathed, unsure if she were dreaming or if he was really sitting there cupping her cheek in an endearing way.

He barely paid attention to her words, he couldn't concentrate honestly. His eyes roamed over her, merely nodding at her in response. That's when Helga snapped out of her daze, sitting up quickly and almost colliding with Salazar in the process. He straightened up, looking down at her with a worried gaze.

Helga felt something snap in her. She wasn't sure if it was because he looked so dashing in a white shirt and dark slacks but she felt all her anger dissipate.

She jumped to her feet, launching herself at Salazar. Salazar instinctively flinched away expecting her to hex or slap him like any normal woman would have done, someone who wasn't so loyal, understanding, so God damn warm; someone who wasn't Helga. Salazar instinctively enveloped her, seeking comfort from her touch and how absolutely drunk he could get off it. He was going to break if she continued to do this to him; his exterior was being torn down slowly. What was this witch doing to him?

"I've missed you," Helga breathed dazedly, laying her head onto his shoulder. She couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth; it was like she had the worst case of word vomit whenever it came to him. Then again she had always been truthful; she didn't like lying or sugar coating things when it was a serious subject. It was different with Sal, she had been walking on egg shells around him since the beginning. She was intimidated by his presence but at the same time he made her feel secure and it didn't help her heart always seemed to skip a beat whenever he was around.

No, it truly didn't help at all.

Her words had evoked deep emotions he had previously tried to smother out. He felt like some sort of school girl virgin who just had their first snogging session.

One of his hands dipped into her hair, running it through her silky smooth locks over and over again. To say he wasn't surprised by her reaction was a lie; he hadn't expected her to hug him, let alone be within 10 inches of him. He was astonished. Her hands played with the hair at the nape of his neck, he almost felt like she was trying to tickle him. Turning his head to examine her features he noticed her eyes were closed and her cheeks were flushed, she looked like she had fallen asleep again.

Her rhythmic puffs of breath hit his neck in a tantalizing way, "Have you fallen asleep so quickly?" he barely whispered.

"No, I'm just afraid if I open my eyes you'll be gone again," Helga answered sadly but truthfully.

His hold on her tightened, feeling the slow pang of guilt hit him in the gut repeatedly. He tried to reason with himself that _she_ had been the one that wanted him gone so desperately, begging for him to leave but no avail. He still felt like a bloody prat for disappearing.

"I'm sorry for making you worry," he mumbled quietly, embarrassed at the way he handled the situation all together. Salazar envisioned himself lying on the grounds in the chamber with a dislocated shoulder while drunk off his rocker.

Helga noticed how uncomfortable he was; he wouldn't even look her in the eye. Worry washed over her features, assuming something horrible had happened she frantically ran her hands over his chest and torso, assessing for any injuries. "Where did you hurt yourself?" she asked troubled. Sal was sometimes too proud to ask someone for help, Helga knew better.

He almost didn't hear her question; all of his attention had been focused on her hands and how they had delicately ran up and down his chest. "Left shoulder, Godric already took care of it," he said breathlessly, trying to block out any and all images from his recent day dreams.

Instinctively she brought a hand to his shoulder, gently rubbing small circles through the fabric of his shirt. "Good, now promise me you won't do this again," she said looking at him sternly, scolding him.

He was taken aback by her tone, she wasn't mocking or joking with him; she was being deadly serious. "Very well," he grumbled, still avoiding her stare.

That wasn't good enough for her; she would be damned if he put her through this same torture again. She stopped rubbing his shoulder and forcefully grabbed his chin making him look her in the eye. She saw how shocked he was at her brazen actions but she wanted him to take her seriously, take the situation seriously. "No, promise me Sal," she said feeling a bubble of uncertainty erupt; tears sprang to the corners of her eyes.

When she had suddenly grabbed his chin making him look at her, the walls he had so tediously constructed around himself fell to their doom. "I promise," he whispered, noticing the space between their faces lessen inch by inch. His eyes darted down to her lips, they looked so inviting.

"Good," she smiled happily at him, rubbing her nose against his playfully. Her heart was soaring right now, she watched him look at her lips and that tension in her stomach grew. She allowed herself to admire his jaw line, his cheek bones and lastly his enchanting steel gray eyes; she could honestly lose herself in them forever.

"Now," he paused trying to collect his thoughts, "you have to promise me you won't get angry at what I'm about to do," he gritted out, his breaths tickling her face. It didn't help that his pants were constricting him _greatly_; he was fighting a losing battle.

She looked at him confused, "What are you-"before she could even finish her question Salazar claimed her lips as his own. He tried his damnedest to kiss her gently, the way she deserved to be kissed by any man but his hunger was slowly destroying any sanity he had left. He grazed her bottom lip with his teeth causing her to moan quietly into his mouth, his hands clamped onto her waist.

Helga felt like she was floating. When their lips collided she felt a shock run through her bones, making its way through her blood stream. She wrapped her arms around his neck flushing herself up against him, she mustered up her courage; opening her mouth Helga sucked sweetly on his bottom lip while her tongue trailed across it. A throaty growl emitted from his chest which only boosted her confidence, she smiled into their kiss.

Pulling away slightly, Helga planted a trail of butterfly kisses down his jaw, wondering if she should stop but a shiver of delight passed through him then; it was the only answer she needed. The trail of kisses continued down the side of his neck, she paused to gently bite on a sensitive area of skin experimenting with the different ways she affected him. Helga felt quite empowered when the big bad Slytherin moaned as her teeth grazed over the tender bite mark.

Salazar was honestly about to take her right then and there when this little minx started to nip at his already sensitive skin, his toes curled as he let out a low moan. He gripped her upper arms, suddenly gaining some consciousness Salazar grabbed one of her hands and lead her a bit of a distance away from their camp. The last thing he wanted was Godric coming out of the tent, making some sort of sarcastic remark about the situation. It would not be very pretty, for Godric's sake at least.

"Sal, we shouldn-" Helga began to protest but Salazar cut her off again with a demanding kiss. She didn't even try to resist, she could actually get use to the way he shushed her. This time Salazar took control, shocking her when his tongue entered her mouth and began swirling around her own. Her thighs quivered, she wasn't able to control the urge to arch into him, feeling his hard member through his pants.

His cock twitched when her abdomen pressed against him, she was going to be the end of him. Salazar brought his lips to her neck, sucking lightly while savoring the sweet taste of her skin. He listened to her quiet moans of ecstasy, her little cries drove him deeper into the state of bliss. He nipped lightly over her delicate skin, her breathing was ragged as she ran her nails down his chest.

Suddenly someone cleared their throat loudly, they both froze. Salazar's hands were still tangled in Helga's golden locks when they turned to see a smiling Rowena and devious looking Godric. "Sorry to interrupt but we were wondering when you guys would come up for air," Godric grinned at Salazar.

"Stop it Godric," Rowena turned and scolded him, giving him a irritated glare.

Godric's jaw dropped, "I was being serious, I mean one can only hold their breath so long," he said in defense, avoiding anyone's inquisitive stares. His fingernails seemed to be very fascinating all of the sudden.

Salazar watched as Helga's face became flushed, much redder than he had ever seen. He glanced at her neck quickly, noticing little red marks scattered over her porcelain skin. He bent down to capture her lips in one more kiss, this one different from the others. This kiss was tender and patient, he felt her tremble in his embrace and he almost turned around and told the other two to sod off before apparating him and Helga to Hogwarts. She responded to the kiss with the same gentleness, kissing him in the most lovingly ways. His heart skipped a beat, "We'll finish this later," he murmured breaking the kiss, panting lightly.

'_First_', he thought, '_I'm going to murder the bloody Gryffindor with my bare hands!'_

Helga watched his retreating back, his words repeating over and over in her mind causing waves of excitement to shoot through her body. "Later," she murmured quietly while touching her sensitive lips in awe.


	5. Chapter 5

Needless to say Salazar stalked after Godric, easily disarming him of his wand and basically rendering him helpless. It was entertaining to watch Godric as he laughed nervously; pleading that it had all been in good fun. That's when Salazar waved his wand muttering, "Imperio" and Godric's body went still for a moment, just hanging there like a puppet; Salazar then proceeded to make Godric's body move out to the front of the camp. The witches had started a fire, so Salazar thought it'd be perfect if Godric did a nice dance for them all.

Godric waved his arms around wildly and stomped his feet, Helga giggled loudly while Rowena tried to suppress her laughter. 'Revenge was a dish best served cold,' Salazar thought to himself. Godric had been quite embarassed, refusing to leave his quarters for about 20 minutes before dinner was served.

Helga huffed tiredly as she entered her room; she went over to the bed and fell face first into it, welcoming the comfort. She rolled over and stared at the ceiling of the tent, for the rest of the evening Helga had intentionally tried to avoid Sal's glances and touches. She didn't do it in an obvious way; she just tended to drift away whenever he came near.

You can call her crazy but she honestly couldn't trust herself around him, snogging him in the middle of the camp made her very aware of that fact. Not that she didn't enjoy it nor want it but they had more important matters to attend to, she had to keep her priorities in order for the both of them. And once Hogwarts was up and running then she could entertain her folly ideas.

She just wasn't sure she was strong enough to resist him.

Salazar had this way of alluring you, he seemed to hypnotize you with his gray eyes and one glance you were caught in his grasp. Remembering his lips on her neck and the way his hands wound around her, Helga shivered letting out a soft breath. He was going to infect her and she was going to slowly succumb, he was like a snake; how disgustingly fitting.

Salazar sat out by the fire; Godric and Rowena were sitting across the pit engaged in a conversation. He stared at the two; they melted seamlessly into one another. Rowena leaned in towards Godric while Godric, the big buffoon, couldn't even contain his foolish smile. Salazar snickered to himself while swirling his glass. Yes, he was drinking again because it had gotten him into such a wonderful situation the first time around. He took another sip feeling the warmth spill through his chest; he loved that sensation too much. That same feeling seemed to envelope him whenever a certain Hufflepuff was near. Maybe that's why he couldn't get enough of her.

He noticed a change in her later on, she seemed tense. Salazar shrugged it off as her being embarrassed about being caught; he chuckled to himself thinking of her flushed face. '_Good thing I ran out of fuck's to give a long time ago,'_ Salazar thought to himself as he downed the rest of his fire whiskey and stood up.

His balance was a bit iffy at first but he got ahold of it fairly quick, walking towards the entrance of the tent in search of his Hufflepuff. "Where you headed?" Godric called out.

Salazar turned around slowly, "It looks like I was about to enter the tent, now doesn't it?" Salazar asked annoyed. Godric had a lot of nerve speaking to him that way, sometimes he really needed to shove his boot in his mouth.

Godric took this as a cue to shut up and mind his own business, "Carry on" Godric muttered and waved Salazar off. Rowena watched the two before eyeing Godric with a skeptical glare.

"What?" he asked, his voice raising a few decibels in defense.

"Must you antagonize him so much?" Rowena asked irritated.

Godric looked down for a moment before grabbing Rowena's hands in his own, he grasped them tightly. Running his calloused thumbs over her soft knuckles, "If it would please you, I will stop," he murmured quietly.

Rowena was stunned silent; she felt his tight hold on her and her cheeks flushed. She tried her hardest to force the blush away but it came on like a cold. And then his confession, the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile.

"It would mean a lot to me, to all of us," she said squeezing his hand lightly.

"Your wish is my command," Godric said as he brought her hands up to his lips, kissing them both softly. Rowena gasped quietly at the action, after that night Godric made a mental note to kiss her knuckles more often; especially if they would evoke the same reaction.

Salazar strutted through the entrance, surveying the common area and the lack of one Hufflepuff. He continued on his hazy journey, going to his room out of instinct he whipped the curtain open, scanning his room but alas no Hufflepuff. "Why can't anything be easy?" He muttered to himself, he wished he could just 'Accio' her to him. Actually .. Salazar pulled out his wand, he was drunk enough to believe it could really work. He didn't remember feeling this drunk; he waved his wand as accurately as he could and whispered forcefully, "Accio-Helga Hufflepuff!"

Nothing. Why couldn't she just be waiting in his bed? His mind selfishly wandered to images of how she'd look lying in his black covers and how her skin would feel against his dark green sheets. There was that hunger again, gnawing on his conscience slowly.

He put his wand away, embarrassed again at his actions. It was like the chambers all over again, if he woke up with a shattered knee cap or a dislocated hip it would just be another night. Salazar focused his attention on Helga's quarters, not sure whether to intrude or leave her be for the night. But then it clicked in his brain, he remembered now.

"I did warn her we'd finish this," he debated with himself. His eyes looked at her quarters again; his chest was flooded with a soothing sensation. His feet moved on their own accord, his hand hovered over the fabric before grasping it and pulling it back lightly.

Helga was lying there still lost in her own thoughts, at one point she had envisioned a snake with Sal's face on it. She had been in a fit of laughter for a good while, she was surely crazy. She had just calmed down when she felt a presence.

She pushed herself up on her elbows, her wand up the sleeve of her cloak just in case. She gasped when her eyes fell on Salazar; he was standing a few feet in front of her. She grabbed one of her pillows and tossed it at his head; he was going to scare her to death if he kept this up.

He couldn't suppress the smirk when she jumped seeing him; it was payback for the times she had done the same, even if she didn't have the same devious intentions as him. His smirk was shorted lived as it was wiped clean off his face when a pillow came colliding with his jaw. 'Bloody good aim,' he thought. His senses felt electrified now, her fear and anger only encouraging him to continue. He left the pillow on the floor as he walked towards her.

Helga felt like she was transported back at the lake, he had that devious gleam in his eyes again and she had stupidly backed herself up against her bed's headboard; cornered like a rat. 'Good going Helga,' she berated herself as she felt for wand, grasping it lightly in her hand. She shouldn't feel threatened, right? I mean, what the bloody hell went on outside?

Then the realization dawned on her, coming to the dreadful conclusion that Salazar was a very, very dangerous man to be dealt with. Now she had a whole new world of worries as she glanced at the Slytherin who slowly crept towards her in a predatory manner.

She was his prey.

She swallowed a dry lump in her throat as he got onto the bed, she instinctively scooted over to the other end; furthest away but he had situated himself in the middle so he would easily snatch her if she decided to flee from either side.

"I kept my word," Salazar murmured, his eyes already roaming over her.

"What word?" Helga breathed feeling a bit dazed.

"That we'd finish this later," He smiled deviously.

Helga felt her breath hitch as her heart pounded furiously, also that annoyingly delicious sensation in her stomach had returned. She wondered if he had put a spell on her, she felt like that ache made her gravitate towards him; almost like he had accio'd her to him.

Slowly Helga discarded of her shoes and cloak, levitating them both to their proper places. She glanced at the Slytherin, he was being very patient with her. She thought he would've pounced on her by now, especially with that bloody gleam in his eye. Helga felt her brows furrow in frustration, what was he waiting for anyways? He seemed to be purposely toying with her.

And before she knew what she was doing, Helga threw herself at the Slytherin. She gasped loudly when their bodies connected; Salazar took this opportunity to cover her lips with his and slipped his tongue in effortlessly. She sighed into the kiss feeling his tongue glide across her own, it was as if time stopped for the two of them. Helga ran her hands through his hair, enjoying the feel of his dark locks as they slipped through her fingers and how they curled ever-so-slightly at the ends.

Then suddenly the Salazar/snake hybrid flashed into her mind, laughter erupted from her, breaking the kiss in the process.

She tried to control it, really. But it just appeared and she was so easily affected by it the first time that the second time wouldn't be any easier. Salazar was looking at her as if she had grown a 2nd head, which only ensured more laughter from her petite frame. Her shoulders shook and tears formed in the corners of her eyes, she finally took a deep breath trying to compose herself.

"I'm sorry Sal, how embarrassing," she murmured leaning her head on his chest. She smiled as she noticed some of his chest hair poking out of his shirt, she was tempted to play with it or tug on it perhaps.

"Care to tell me what was so funny?" he clipped out trying not to sound frustrated, his hold on her was still tight and secure. Secure, how can one feel secure in the arms of the person they had felt frightened of a couple of minutes ago? Her mind was doing summersaults.

"It's nothing, really, I just came up with something earlier and I just remembered it …," Helga said sheepishly. She certainly didn't want to tell him of her wild imagination, the Snake/Sal wasn't even the worst. Her mind drifted to images of Sal trailing kisses down neck, dipping down...

"And it just so happened to pop into your mind while we were snogging?" his low voice shook her out of the day dream. Her eyes landed on his; a renewed lust erupted within her as she took hold of his face bringing his lips to hers again. She kissed him softly while sucking on his bottom lip, knowing he enjoyed it. His hands roamed over her body, a sneaky hand dipped down the small of her back.

She was completely lost, her mind only able to focus on the soft and gentle movements of his lips. She pulled herself closer to him; arching into him she felt her body mold to his hard frame. His hand on the small of her back traveled further down before finally resting on her arse. Helga was the none the wiser as she trailed her hands down his chest; her nails raking over his nipples causing Salazar to hiss into the kiss and grasp her arse forcefully.

A squeaked escaped Helga's lips, her hands fisted his shirt tightly at his reaction. She felt a little excited, she had never experienced such treatment and dare she say she felt slightly turned on. Salazar merely chuckled, removing his hand and placing it on her hip. His patience was wearing thin as he began to kiss her more eagerly, trying desperately to keep his lust for her under control.

Helga's heartbeat sped up, her under garments felt damp from the urgency in his kiss. She let out a ragged moan, her tongue fighting with his for dominance. And then suddenly she realized his intentions, she broke the kiss and backed out of his embrace slightly.

"Sal, we can't," she breathed, looking at him honestly and completely open. His hold on her loosened as she gripped the front of his shirt tighter, refusing to move out of his personal space.

"And pray tell, what are we doing little one?" Salazar taunted. He felt rejected, so he reverted back to his old self. It was comforting being back in his own skin, she always seemed to drag him out of his shell but sometimes he didn't want to feel _these_ feelings; rejection, hurt, and the worst of all... having to go to bed with a hard on.

Helga hated his sarcasm; she gave him a dark glare but still didn't back away. She pulled herself back against him, hoping the body contact would bring him back to her. He seemed to always get lost in there; he'd cocoon himself back up and she'd have to tear down the walls time after time. He stared down at her, his hands gripping her elbows now lightly as she leaned up and kissed him; feeling his lips move against hers made her sigh in relief.

"Stay with me tonight Sal?" she breathed against his lips.

Salazar felt his stomach flip-flop, "What does 'stay with me' entail?" he inquired embracing her again. He buried his face in her neck, leaving little kisses on the base.

"It means you can lay with me and if you're lucky I'll even let you give me a goodnight kiss," Helga retorted humorously, he might've believed her if she hadn't quivered every time his breath brushed against her skin.

"Whatever you say, dear," he murmured against her skin.

Helga was taken aback by his words of endearment, biting her lip and fidgeting she looked around the room awkwardly. She looked down at her robes, he had been dressed lightly all night and she still had these on. Frustrated she poked the almost sleeping Slytherin, "Sal, I need to change." She whispered.

His mind was wide awake now as he sat up right, allowing her freedom immediately. He suppressed a grin and gave her a blank stare. How could he have been so lucky?

Helga gaped at him openly, 'What a little gi-' she gritted her teeth and got off the bed. If he honestly thought she would change in front of him, he was sorely mistaken and seriously misguided. She went to her things, grabbed her night gown and turned to face him.

"Could you please leave for a moment?" she asked politely, shifting in her spot nervously.

"I promise I won't look," Salazar said in defense, he was obviously going to look regardless. He knew she was changing, so unless she wanted to go through the trouble of changing wards and things she would just have to deal with his eyes on her bare, soft and very touchable skin. He felt a twinge in his groin; this was not good, maybe he shouldn't look if he honestly wanted to lay with her tonight. He would do anything to be by her warmth through the night. '_Almost _anything_,'_ said a voice in the back of his head, he felt a bit faint now and leaned his head against the headboard.

"Please Sal, just do it for me," she pleaded, gripping her night gown tightly. It was a pretty night gown too, yellow again.

"I'm sorry, I'm going now," he murmured and basically fled from the room. Salazar noticed that Rowena and Godric still weren't back from outside or they were in bed, together maybe. He double checked before turning his attention back towards her curtain, pulling it open slightly just in time to see her unzipping the back of her robe.

He inhaled deeply when he saw the first of skin; it looked so pure and innocent as if no man had ever touched it. He fingers twitched, _'So touch it,'_ that same voice murmured. Salazar was coming to realize he was hallucinating of sorts, because he swore that voices were speaking to him. Maybe it was from the lack of sleep and all the alcohol consumption, Salazar shook his head trying to push the voice away.

She could feel his eyes on her bare back, that slimy little snake! Helga was not angered easily; she was able to control her temper quite well but this dastardly little Slytherin wasn't going to make things easy for her. She sighed in irritation as she tried to maneuver her arms out of the robe; she grabbed her wand and pulled it out. Holding the garment to her chest she turned towards the entrance of her room, aiming her wand in Salazar's direction.

Helga watched the curtain sway softly as a shadow scurried away; she smiled triumphantly to herself as she turned back to undressing.

Salazar debated whether to be logical and leave the Hufflepuff alone or merely cast a disillusionment charm and wander into her room. That's when it began to sink in that he didn't _want_ to do that to Helga but it was his initial reaction to a female changing in the room he was previously occupying and snogging that same female in. He didn't want to cause her distress, not intentionally anyways.

If he were to do it he had already planned it out precisely, practically memorized it. Grabbing her waist – quite roughly and pull the bloody ro- Salazar felt his body go rigid, knowing to stop the disgusting and pathetic fantasy there. Helga would hex his bloody arse before he even was able to approach her. He felt nauseous, like he had to live half of his true intentions through sick fantasies.

Helga deserved better so he was trying to be better for her but he wasn't sure it'd be enough, if he'd ever be enough. He needed her, he was a selfish prat and he knew it. Salazar sighed, feeling his wave of excitement pass through only to be replaced with self-loathing. He needed another drink. He was sure she'd take a while as most girls did but he realized that Helga was not like most girls, no not his little puffling.

Salazar walked away from her entrance and sat on one of the many couches in their common area. Accio-ing more fire whiskey and a glass, he was going to try to numb the dark and ugly truth.

Helga finished changing and brushed through her locks, peaking out of the curtain she saw Salazar lean back against the couch. His eyes were shut and an empty glass sat on the table, she sighed deeply feeling guilty. Salazar drank a lot, he always had a glass in his hand. Her hands trembled slightly as she turned back to her mirror, why should she feel guilty? She did nothing wrong, he got his kicks but she had her limits. Her mind wandering back to his hand on her arse, her stomach flip-flopped. It scared her how easily her body would betray her, she had experienced a similar sensation when she was younger but it was nothing to this degree. This was frightening.

Was it silly of her to want it to be special? Especially if it were with- She tried to push the thought from her mind, it wasn't silly at all. She wasn't going to give in just because he couldn't find a better vice, maybe he needed to meditate or something. She huffed before going back towards the entrance to tell him she had finished; when she pulled the curtain back she was shocked to notice it was empty, he had left. Helga held in a sob, exiting her room she darted around the common room to his room. She whipped open the curtain hoping and praying he just gone to lay down, she was sorely mistaken.

"No," she breathed before practically running out of the tent.

Her eyes scanned over their camp, it was dark and of course she had left her wand in her room. She had left in such a rush that she hadn't even thought about her wand, suddenly she heard the sound of footsteps in the grass, "Sal?" she called out quietly; hoping and praying it was him. Fear crept up on her when the vague sounds of heavy panting floated to her ears, it sounded like an animal or a beast. Helga turned and looked back at the entrance, she had a good chance to run back in but she had gone past the fire pit which was a good 3-4 ft away. Helga took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her hands shook slightly, she was tempted to call out to the thing in the darkness but decided it was better not to.

Bending down slowly Helga felt around for a stick or anything to protect herself from whatever was out there. She felt a couple stones; grabbing them in one hand she eventually found a stick that was suitable enough to defend herself with. The forest was terribly creepy at night, they were right on the outskirts of the woods so whenever you looked behind their camp you were confronted with the dark, empty forest; almost beckoning you into it. Godric said he had seen centaurs around but the four of them had made sure not to camp within their territory.

She staggered a bit while backing up, slowly trying to make her way towards the entrance of the tent. The wards only allowed them in; no beast, human or wizard could penetrate it. Helga took another deep breath, she tried to skirt around the fire pit but her foot snagged on a root from a surrounding tree; she was falling in slow motion to her doom.

Suddenly the beast let out a low howl, Helga's gut dropped.


	6. Chapter 6

Salazar had merely stepped out to _relieve _himself; liquor went through him like water so he exited the tent and went towards the forest to find a secluded area where no animals would… smell him. He stood behind bushes and took a nice piss; he sighed in relief and then adjusted his pants before walking back towards the camp. Hopefully she'd be done by now, he was growing impatient and didn't want to pass out drunk on the couch.

As he neared the tent his ears picked up faint sounds of hard footsteps and ragged breathing so he placed himself near the sound and watched in terror as a werewolf stalked towards his Hufflepuff; who was currently on the ground clutching a pathetic stick. Salazar pulled out his wand, grasping it tightly as he felt seething anger pulse through his veins or perhaps it was just his magic; the beast was going to wish it had never crossed his path. He straightened up as he watched the werewolf begin to descend on Helga, his mind going over what curse to use and then it was decided.

Helga felt tears spring to her eyes as she realized that was no wolf, well it was a were_wolf_ and it was currently standing a few feet away. She gripped her bloody useless stick and she would go down taking the bloody thing's eye out at least! Helga screamed as she tried to elude the beast but it lunged at her suddenly and having no time to run she defenselessly held out her stick; awaiting the evitable death. Then there was a loud roar, "Crucio!" Helga opened her eyes slightly and watched as the beast fell to the ground in front of her feet, awful groans and grunts erupting from its chest.

Helga quickly stood up and backed away from the werewolf and that's when she noticed him, she could've sworn her heart was soaring. "Sal," she whispered in shock as he emerged from the forest, she had been so sure he had left again but there he was; a very distinct look in his eye. The dark look beneath his steel gray eyes sent a wave of shivers down her body. Godric and Rowena had exited out of the tent, wands drawn as they eyed the werewolf screeching in agony. Salazar had yet to lift the curse and by the sounds that were coming out of its mouth he was increasing the power and strength behind the curse.

Helga slowly approached Salazar from the side, a light hand touching his forearm in a soothing gesture. Salazar was snapped out of his daze, the curse fell and the beast passed out from agony. "Helga," Salazar breathed, turning to her and wrapping his arms around her tightly. She welcomed his embrace whole-heartily, trying her damnedest to forget her fear of the werewolf.

"I was afraid you had disappeared again," Helga breathed, trying desperately to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. Salazar took a deep breath, feeling disgusted with himself and how he had so easily upset her. One of his hands rubbed her lower back, trying his best to calm her down as the guilt began to hammer inside his chest. He knew better, he should stop it right here with her but he couldn't – no he wouldn't, he was selfish like that. So Salazar couldn't bring himself to say anything to erase her fears; he had already said too much when he promised he'd never disappear for days again, his arms only held her tighter hoping her warmth would wash away the shame that was surely to come later.

Suddenly the beast made a strangling gasp, Helga cried in fear when suddenly she heard a faint whisper, "Avada Kedavra" and a green light whizzed out of Salazar's wand hitting the wolf in the chest; it sounded like a ton of bricks when it hit the ground. Helga looked up at Salazar noticing his relaxed body stance and how relieved he looked – as if that had been building up within him for some time now. She laid her head back on his chest trying to block out the images of the monster, shivers racked her body as Salazar tried to console her.

"What the bloody hell-" Godric growled in frustration, throwing his hands in the air as he stalked around the dead corpse. "What were you guys thinking?" Godric asked in annoyance.

Rowena eyed Helga's shaking frame as she slowly came to stand next to Godric, placing a hand on his shoulder; his eyes shot to hers before taking a relaxing breath and turning to face the approaching pair. Godric ran a hand through his hair in aggravation however that didn't stop the slew of questions that flew out of his mouth, "What happened? I had wards up, why did you leave the tent? We agreed to always leave in pairs," Godric gritted out.

Helga felt a pang of guilt; she shouldn't have been so silly – running out of the tent blindly like a child. She sniffed and stood straighter, shaking Salazar's arm off her frame as she tried to gain her own balance. Helga listened while Godric berated the two of them, she tried her hardest not to cry but she felt like she was about to break from tonights events. Godric's worried stare bore into Helga as Salazar sighed in annoyance, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I came out here to take a piss, Helga thought I had left and came out here looking for me," Salazar said eyeing the Gryffindor.

Suddenly the Hufflepuff flew towards Godric,"I'm so sorry Godric," Helga wept as her arms wrapped around him. Godric was slightly jostled from the unexpected embrace but wrapped his arms around her tightly; all the while giving the Slytherin an accusing glare.

"I'm sorry Helga, you know I just worry about you," he said truthfully before pulling away slightly and allowing Rowena to untangle the troubled girl from his arms. Rowena murmured quietly to Helga as she steered her into the tent, Helga looked once more at Salazar before entering her quarters with Rowena in tow.

Godric waited patiently, letting his anger simmer until Rowena had taken Helga in; he turned to the Slytherin with clenched fists. "Do you not see what you're doing?" he gritted out.

Salazar noticed the change in Godric almost immediately; the Gryffindor was quite deadly when he was pushed to the limits. He eyed Godric's gripped fists, "So are we going to fight like bloody monkeys or wizards?" Salazar clipped out angrily.

Godric was then reminded of his promise to Rowena; he released his fists and let out a deep sigh. His patience was wearing thin, he used to be able to deal with Salazar's bloody bullshit but things were different now, they were trying to be different now. He just wasn't so sure what Salazar's true intentions were any longer. "You need to sort out your priorities," Godric eyed the Slytherin once more before turning and entering the tent, whipping the curtain shut.

Salazar ran a hand through his hair, he had honestly only gone out to take a leak. That's when he felt his thirst for fire whiskey flare up, he entered the tent just as Rowena was leaving Helga's quarters. She looked at him, almost sympathetically, before turning and entering her own room. Salazar didn't even think twice before walking towards Helga's entrance.

He pulled the curtain open slowly to see her lying with her back to the entrance, still softly trembling under her warm looking covers. He sighed as he approached her bed and placed a comforting touch on her back, Salazar watched as the shaking subdued "Lay with me," she whispered, almost pleaded with him as she scooted over to make room for him. A genuine smile spread across his face, he looked down at the Hufflepuff with such admiration.

He stepped out of his boots and placed his wand on her nightstand, which was a first since usually it was in his sleeve or pocket but not tonight. "Do you want me to lie on top of the covers?" he asked politely, he had manners sometimes.

"Won't you get cold?" she asked concerned, although anyone could hear how worn-out she truly was.

Salazar couldn't stop the Cheshire cat grin, "Maybe, but I could go through the trouble and cast a warmin-

"Oh just get under," Helga huffed. She had been half asleep while Rowena played with her hair and then Salazar came in, he always alerted her senses some how.

Salazar slid under the covers, lying on his side and facing her back - her hair sprawled everywhere and his hands itched to run it through his fingers. Slowly a hand began to reach for a rogue strand when she flipped around to face him, he pulled his hand away quickly as she stared up at him with a half-lidded gaze. Helga scooted toward him as her arms wove their way around him, Salazar couldn't resist the urge and began to place light kisses on the top of her head. He listened as she hummed tiredly into his throat before her breathing evened out.

He squeezed her lightly before shutting his own eyes and inhaling her scent, letting a peaceful slumber take over his body for the first time in a long time. He even dreamed of her scent. He was at the lake and the wind blew her scent around, tickling his nose in the process. Salazar ran towards her figure in the blurry distance, Salazar could feel the shit-eating grin form on his dream-state's lips. He felt a hunger begin to claw at his insides and then the scene changed as a mesh of black and gray morphed into to the chamber. The basilisk was suddenly replacing the entire scene in front of him when suddenly a cold chill swept over his form.

Salazar awoke with a jolt, sweat covering his brow he looked to the side noticing the sleeping Hufflepuff sprawled out; her legs now entangled with his limbs. He sighed tiredly, slowly sinking back into the comfort of her warm sheets; it was amusing how quickly she curled back up against him. He could get use to this sensation, a warm Hufflepuff curled up beside him every night. However he had other things to concentrate on, like that damned basilisk. A low growl vibrated through his chest, he had to get the basilisk into the chamber before Hogwarts was complete or else it would be nearly impossible then.

Salazar focused his attention back on the girl lying in his embrace, his hold tightening instinctively; he didn't want to leave but his plans were bigger than this, more important. Salazar's hold on her loosened as he realized how bloody right Godric had been about his fucked up his priorities, he sighed in annoyance and brought his lips to her temple before gently easing her out of his arms. He had to practically pull himself out the bed and put his boots on, Salazar turned towards Helga's sleeping form once more; he was half tempted to crawl back in since she looked so damn inviting … Salazar shook his head, trying desperately to rid his mind of those tempting thoughts as he regretfully turned away, grabbing his wand and exiting her room.

He eyed the common area before stalking out of the tent; he stretched and noticed the dead carcass of the werewolf had disappeared, thinking nothing of it he apparated to the outskirts of Hogwarts. He eyed the scene in front of him as a feeling of awe and fascination came over him; the sun was just rising and Hogwarts seemed almost complete as for now, he walked towards the safe haven for the basilisk which was located near the lake. While he had 'scouted' the land, he had also discovered a nice little cave within the walls of the lake.

Salazar rolled his shoulders as he slowly approached the cave; it was carved out within the rocky ridges along the lake and access into the cave was tricky. The first obstacle was being forced to go into the lake in order to enter the cave, he appreciated that the most. No one would ever expect what was hidden in there. He sloshed into the lake before taking a deep breath and diving under towards the secret entrance of the lair. Salazar's head bobbed out of the water, his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting as the sound of a low snore filled his ears. Swimming towards the edge of the cave he propelled himself out of the water and warily walked towards the sleeping creature, "Lumos," he whispered as his wand lit up cave.

He eyed the many restraints that were put on the basilisk, he made sure to be prepared since last time had costed him a blown out shoulder. Salazar gritted his teeth in remembrance before placing a hand on the basilisk, the cold scales felt relieving under his touch. Salazar shut his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could; trying to focus all his attention on the location of the chamber since planning to apparate such a huge creature took quite the dedication. Salazar smiled smugly as he felt the familiar pull of apparition, the beast being tugged along with him.

'Work needed to be done.' He thought to himself as they landed effortlessly in the chamber. The basilisk grunted loudly as it landed, its eyes opened slightly before the sleepy haze took over its senses once more. Salazar pulled out his wand and began to recite incantations to set up the wards, it'd be virtually invisible to everyone within the castle when he was finished with it.

Helga sat up abruptly after being shaken out of her slumber by some unknown force. It had been a good dream too; dreaming about her recipes for pumpkin pie. Helga stretched before noticing the vacant spot next to her, running a hand over the sheets she noted how cold it was. He must've left quite some time ago, she thought disappointingly. Trying desperately to sooth the dull ache that began to form in her chest Helga footed her slippers on and got up.

She would be damned if he affected her this way every time he decided to slither away. She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself, peeking out of her room she noticed Godric seated in the common area. Books and papers strewn about him, he seemed like he was in a deep thought and it amused Helga greatly. "Morning Godric," Helga said cheerily, trying to stomp out any existing sadness. She smiled in amusement when he jumped slightly at her words, clearly unaware of her presence.

Godric was trying to gather his lesson plans; he had decided to take on Defense against the Dark Arts and was gathering the different techniques he was going to teach the children. Needless to say Rowena had been helping him out greatly, never letting her own opinions rule over his although he could tell when she felt strongly for something. Like how he had wanted to teach the children the Cruciatus Curse. Rowena had gotten up suddenly, started pacing back and forth.

Finally she spoke, "Are you sure that is something you want to teach _children_, Godric?" she asked sternly, her eyes steely and full of life. She was always so helpful; he wondered whether she knew how greatly her words affected him. That's when he was jolted out of his thoughts, Helga's voice putting a sudden halt on all further memories.

"Bloody hell Helga," Godric exclaimed as a throaty chuckle escaped his lips. "How did you sleep?" he inquired as he went back to his books and parchments.

Helga approached the Gryffindor and sat across from him, looking down at his things and noticing a few familiar curses. Picking up a discarded book she leaned into the plush couch and began to skim through it, "I slept quite well," Helga responded. So desperately wanting to inquire about Salazar's whereabouts but Helga continued to bite her tongue.

Godric eyed the Hufflepuff, her face hidden behind the book but he could tell something was bothering her conscience; he shifted and scooted over to her, "What happened?" he asked pulling the book away.

Helga looked Godric square in the eye, "Where does he go?" she asked. She just needed her curiosity to be sated but she had this nagging feeling that something just wasn't right. Where was he going and furthermore, what was he doing? It left a bad taste in her mouth; she hoped Godric would be able to crush those horrible feelings of doubt.

Godric stared at her, noticing the slight crack in her voice. "I'm sure he is just preparing for lessons at Hogwarts," he offered the fragile excuse, hoping it'd console her but she was never easily swayed.

Helga narrowed her eyes at his pathetic excuse; did he think she was a fool? "For 3 days?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Godric sighed, "I haven't the faintest clue what he is doing Helga and he's always been like this; disappearing for days, mysterious and somewhat creepy-" Helga slapped him playfully on the arm at that comment, trying to hide her quiet chuckling.

"From my knowledge this is normal Salazar Slytherin behavior; he could be going through some weird ritual before classes begin," Godric said with a shrug and a wave of his hands. Salazar was far too much trouble than he was worth, okay so that was a lie; Salazar was probably one of the most talented wizards Godric had met in his entire life but that didn't expel him from being a pain in the arse.

Helga smiled as she got up, offering a quiet 'thank you' to Godric before entering her own quarters again. She paced back and forth for a bit, her mind going over what Godric had said about Sal's behavior. Although his words did calm her down greatly, it still didn't answer her nagging questions. Godric may be able to deal with Salazar's mysterious disappearances but Helga felt like she deserved some sort of explanation and that's exactly what she was going to get.

Now whether he wanted to do it the easy way or the hard way was up to him.


End file.
